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mind. To examine this paper with the accuracy which it deferves, would lead us very far; we can only observe, that the author has refcued imagination' from the contempt with which it has been always treated: he has clearly fhewn, that it is a faculty or exertion of the mind, highly ferviceable in the investigation of truth; and, instead of that volatile power, which only adorns the pages of the poet, the encomiums of the lover, and the wanderings of the lunatic, even philofophy, and the more fevere, abstracted fcience of mathematics, are not only affifted, but, in some measure, supported by it. We confefs, however, but we do it with diffidence, that we do not think Dr. Barnes has established his principal pofition.

VII. Remarks on the different Succefs with Respect to Health, of fome Attempts to pass the Winter in high northern Latitudes. By John Aikin, M. D.-Those who fucceeded best in these attempts. fed on fresh animal food, without falt, drank only water, and used as much exercise as poffible.

VIII. On the Pleasure which the Mind receives from the Exercife of its Faculties; and that of Tafte in particular. By Charles de Polier, Efq.-This is a moft elegant effay, without any particular object that we are capable of presenting in a fhort compafs. It leads us deeply to regret the premature lofs of this amiable and elegant man, whofe life, in a subsequent article, is related by Dr. Percival.

IX. On Economical Registers. By Mr. J. Wimpey.

X. On the Pleafure which the Mind, in many Cafes, receives from contemplating Scenes of Diftrefs. By Thomas Barnes, D. D.

XI. Obfervations on Blindness, and on the Employment of the other Senfes to fupply the Lofs of Sight. By Mr. George Bew. We can make few observations on these articles, because they afford nothing very particularly interefting. Dr. Barnes' paper is, as usual, elegant. Mr. Bew's contains a pretty correct character of Dr. Moyes; but we think he has imperfectly understood fome parts of it. There is an instance of a remarkable employment in which a blind man is engaged, and in which he is faid to excel, that of a furveyor of roads.

In the effay on blindness, Mr. Bew speaks of the blind feeling impreffions in dreaming, in fome degree fimilar to the vifible appearance of bodies.

A blind gentleman, with whom I have lately converfed, clearly proves to me, that he is confcious of the figure, though he cannot diftinguish the varieties of the human countenance: and from the confufed efforts he makes to explain himself, it may be perceived, that he feels himself alarmed with new fenfations, that bear a strong relation to our ideas of light and

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colour; but which he finds it impoffible to defcribé, because he cannot fix on any comparative idea whereby to explain himfelf. Thefe dreams my intelligent friend informs me, are always painful, and, as may naturally be expected, the impreffions are extremely tranfient and unfatisfactory.'

We have quoted this inftance, though we own that, in our opinion, it is very trifling, merely to give fome attention to an argument for fentiments very different from those which we have often expreffed. We can only allow any force to it, if a man, born blind, fhall, after being restored to fight, recognize, by the eye, objects formerly, in his darker ftate, prefented in dreams to his mind.

XII. On Saltpetre. By James Maffey, Efq.-This effay on making faltpetre is very useful. In this country we find it is very neceffary to fupply the alkali, In India, it is certainly otherwife; but, even in our disadvantageous fituation, nitre may probably be rendered at a cheaper rate than that at which we now receive it.

XIII. An Attempt to fhew, that a Tafte for the Beauties of Nature and the Fine Arts, has no Influence favourable to Morals. By the Rev. Samuel Hall, A. M.

XIV. Obfervations on the Ufe of Acids in bleaching of Linen. By Alexander Eafon, M. D.

XV. Conjectural Remarks on the Symbols or Characters, employed by Aftronomers to reprefent the feveral Planets, and by Chemifts to exprefs the feveral Metals. By Martin Wall, M. D.

XVI. Remarks on the Knowledge of the Ancients. By William Falconer, M. D. F. R. S.

XVII. An Inquiry concerning the Influence of the Scenery of a Country on the Manners of its Inhabitants. By William Falconer, M. D. F. R. S.

XVIII. A Tribute to the Memory of Charles de Polier, Efq. By Thomas Percival, M. D.

XIX. Thoughts on the Style and Taste of Gardening among the Ancients. By William Falconer, M. D. F. R. S. XX. On the Regeneration of Animal Substances. By Charles White, Efq. F. R. S.

XXI, On the Diverfions of Hunting, Shooting, Fishing, &c. confidered as compatible with Humanity,

XXII. Obfervations on Longevity. By Anthony Fothergill, M. D. F. R. S.

XXIV. On the Afcent of Vapour. By Alexander Eafon, M. D.

XXV. On the comparative Merit of the Ancients and the Moderns with Refpect to the imitative Arts. By Mr. Tho mas Kershaw.

XXVI. On

XXVI. On the Impropriety of allowing a Bounty to encourage the Exportation of Corn, &c. By Mr. Jofeph Wimpey. XXVII. On the Natural History of the Cow, fo far as it relates to its giving Milk; particularly for the Ufe of Man. By Charles White, Efq. F. R. S.

We cannot enlarge on these articles: indeed many of them are very infignificant. From this cenfure we must except Mr. Wimpey's paper on the impropriety of bounties, and Dr. Falconer's, to which we have already paid our tribute of acknowledgment. Mr White's facts, on the regeneration of animal substances, are apparently curious; but truth and fiction are so intimately blended in thefe tales, fo much must be detracted and placed to the account of ignorance, inattention, or a fondness for the marvellous, that we know not where to reft. It was a proper paper to introduce conversation, but the most improper for publication. We ought alfo to remark, that Mr. Kershaw's knowledge feems to be embellished by the moft engaging modefty; and that, in a more ample field, we fhould expect much information from his labours.

XXVIII. On the Natural History and Origin of Magnefian Earth, particularly as connected with thofe of Sea Salt, and of Nitre; with Obfervations on fome of the Chemical Pro perties of that Earth, which have been, hitherto, either unknown or undetermined. By Thomas Henry, F. R. S.—This effay is the moft clear and scientific of the whole collection ; and, of course, it deferves the greatest share of our attention. Mr. Henry thinks that the fea was originally created falt, but that this falt is conftantly renewed, fince we know it is dif perfed by ftorms in fpray, or more imperceptibly carried off by evaporation. As nitre is fupplied from putrid vegetables by the air, so fea falt may be produced by the fame causes in the fea. So far is conjecture; but it is very probable, and strongly supported by analogy, and particularly by a fact mentioned in the Memoirs of the Royal Academy, that fea falt is always found in the nitre beds. When Mr. Henry proceeds, we fear that his foundations are not equally established. With the fea falt, he obferves, there is alfo an earthy falt produced, viz. the bitter purging falt, with a basis of magnesia, which feems to arife from the fame principles. The opinion. is not new: we meet with hints of this kind in many of the modern French chemifts; though, in no work, has it been drawn out to any extent. We find magnesia where we meet with equivocal traces of water, and none of any vegetating or animated matter. The primitive rock, the granite, is compofed of quartz, fchoerl, feldt-fpath, and mica. The compofition has been long fince afcertained by Ferber, Pallas, and

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other naturalifts we need not tell Mr. Henry, that magnefja is in large proportions, both in the fchoerl and mica. It is obferved by Faujas de St. Fond, and indeed the obfervation is fo near the furface, as to require little more than inspection, that this ought not to be called a primitive rock, fince each of its component parts rather deferve that title. But we may even go farther. We have diftinctly feen pieces of granite of a very different kind from the mafs of granite in which it is inclosed; and it forms a compound of as close a texture as the different parts of which the ftone is originally compofed; fo that it feems as if granite had originally exifted previous to the fhock which, by a fudden convulfion, joined particles of fo oppofite a quality. Magnefia then originally exifted anterior to animation, or, at least, was placed beyond the reach of animated beings; for, in these primeval ftones, we meet neither with their impreffions or exuviæ. We cannot penetrate the obfcurity of high antiquity, to explain the fudden formation of this ftone. It most probably was not effected by fire: its appearance is that of a folution, rapidly cryftallized; an operation fo fudden and powerful, as to preclude any regular figures, and prevent the connection of any water. pearance and specific gravity of the ftone are fufficient proofs of this pofition; but we are again involved in difficulties. If it arofe originally from water, the quantity in which it was diffolved must be immense; and the abstraction of it very rapid; at the fame time it is furprifing, that animals and vegetables which, in our minds, are always connected with water, fhould not have been left behind. But, whatever becomes of these difficulties, we are at leaft certain of the existence of magnefia, independent of the caufes to which Mr. Henry has attributed it.

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The paper concludes with fome remarks on the chemical qualities of magnefia. One paffage feems to clear a difficulty which we felt, during the difpute on this fubject, between our author and Dr. Glafs. It feems at a certain period of the calcination, magnefia fometimes feems fharp and pungent to the tafte, without imparting any of thefe qualities to water. If we mistake not, at that time, this circumstance was attributed to the magnesia being contaminated with calcareous earth. Magnefia, if perfectly pure, is, we find, unchangeable by fire, foluble in diluted acids, and more fo when the calcination has been long continued than when it is imperfect. The other volume we fhall confider at a future oppor tunity.

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Obfervations on a late Publication, intituled, Thoughts on Executive Juftice: to which is added, a Letter containing Remarks on the fame Work. Small 8vo. 2s. 6d.

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F the earnestness of the ftyle' in which the Thoughts were delivered, had gained the writer fome converts,' there certainly were not wanting arguments whofe force had a fimilar effect; and, though many attacks had been made on the Thoughts, even from the bench, yet they have hitherto been vaguely declamatory, or affectedly benevolent. It certainly was not the writer's aim, in publishing that work, to become the advocate of cruelty; nor when we, hurried along by the ftyle and the reafoning, perhaps, with a little too much rapidity, thought the work deferved attention, was there the flightest fufpicion of the measure becoming ultimately fanguinary, As it was not left to our decifion, it was enough for us to remark, that the work was of too much confequence to be difregarded or despised; we are happy to find the present observer of the same opinion, and that it has shared the attention of those well qualified to elucidate this interefting fubject *. The observations before us are written with great force, much knowledge of the fubject, and confiderable elegance. The author is an antagonist, with whom to contend is fame; and we have the greatest expectations of very falutary effects, from the liberal enquiry which we have reason to believe will follow.

We must leave the intentions of every author to him who only knows the heart, and shall commence our obfervations on the jarring opinions of the two combatants, with the remarks and obfervations on the Penal Laws. The first author thinks them excellent; his antagonist, that they are a mass of inconfiftent laws, which are fevere where they should be mild, and mild where they fhould be fevere; and which have, for the most part, been the fruits of no regular defign, but of fudden and angry fits of capricious legiflators.' If the want of a regular de fign were an objection, we should find a fimilar one even against the British conftitution, which is certainly compofed of ' jarring and inconfiftent materials,' from the fruits of fudden fits of encroaching parties. Yet, together, it is the world's great wonder,' kept entire by the concurring veneration of every party, untouched even by jarring factions, or, if touched, the unhallowed hand is immediately withdrawn. Somewhat of our author's accufation may be allowed against the penal

* The Thoughts on Executive Juftice' were reviewed in our fifty-ninth volume, page 319; and the Appendix to it, in page 478. An Answer to it was reviewed in the fixtieth volume, page 160.

laws,

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